By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, January 29, 2013 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
MINISTER for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato has affirmed that the national government is not in contempt of the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the closure of the asylum seeker facility on Manus Island.
Responding to queries by Member for Rabaul, Dr Alan Marat, on the legal status of refugees and their movements on the island province. He also pointed out the continued operation of the facility would be contemptuous considering the ruling made last year.
However, Minister Pato maintained the work on the facility is in compliance with the court’s order to maintain to maintain human rights and dignity of the refugees in drawing down the operation of the facility- adding the option of resettlement remained for those willing to settle.
“Obviously there are clearly refugees that have left the facility and are freely moving on and about Manus Island.”
“This is clearly not our intention but we are law abiding country that works within the framework of our constitution and the international frameworks which are administered by the UN and there is a ruling of the Supreme Court which requires that we must allow the refugees freedom to leave the facility.”
“Therefore we are not in contempt of the Supreme Court and its orders we are complying and working through the process to ensure that the human rights of the individual refugees and those who are, very few number of them still remaining, to ensure that the full effect of the Supreme Court order is complied with so that these people are treated properly and will be resettle if they need to be,” Pato said.
He said there remains a whole range of issue from bilateral obligations and the country’s obligations to the United Nations, with its own conditions to the Australian Government.
Sunday, January 29, 2013 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
MINISTER for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato has affirmed that the national government is not in contempt of the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the closure of the asylum seeker facility on Manus Island.
Responding to queries by Member for Rabaul, Dr Alan Marat, on the legal status of refugees and their movements on the island province. He also pointed out the continued operation of the facility would be contemptuous considering the ruling made last year.
However, Minister Pato maintained the work on the facility is in compliance with the court’s order to maintain to maintain human rights and dignity of the refugees in drawing down the operation of the facility- adding the option of resettlement remained for those willing to settle.
“Obviously there are clearly refugees that have left the facility and are freely moving on and about Manus Island.”
“This is clearly not our intention but we are law abiding country that works within the framework of our constitution and the international frameworks which are administered by the UN and there is a ruling of the Supreme Court which requires that we must allow the refugees freedom to leave the facility.”
“Therefore we are not in contempt of the Supreme Court and its orders we are complying and working through the process to ensure that the human rights of the individual refugees and those who are, very few number of them still remaining, to ensure that the full effect of the Supreme Court order is complied with so that these people are treated properly and will be resettle if they need to be,” Pato said.
He said there remains a whole range of issue from bilateral obligations and the country’s obligations to the United Nations, with its own conditions to the Australian Government.
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